TAYLOR, Texas \u2014 Just outside of Austin, in the city of Taylor, a dispute between residents and a data center developer has garnered lots of attention. It\u2019s all over a piece of land next to a neighborhood community members say was supposed to be used for a park. The case has been in the courts for about a year, and now, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has stepped in.<\/p>\n
A deed to use the land for a park is at the heart of the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deed is the most important thing to this because it was given to this community, to this town for an extra park,\u201d said Pamela Griffin, who has been leading the charge against the proposed data center.<\/p>\n
Griffin lives in the neighborhood next to where the data center is supposed to be built.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s been a hard battle,\u201d Griffin said.<\/p>\n
The 1999 deed for the land was sold to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation from the Bland family for $10 to be used for a park.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo deny this deed and to allow a data center to be built on it, sets a precedent that it can be undone, that people can disregard at will,\u201d said Carrie D\u2019Anna, a Taylor resident and community organizer who opposes the project.<\/p>\n
Griffin and some neighbors filed a land deed lawsuit against the developer, Blueprint Data Centers, last year. It was dismissed by a judge because they don\u2019t own the land, but the fight is not over yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re sitting in appeal court with that,\u201d D\u2019Anna said.<\/p>\n
Paxton\u2019s office is now involved, recently announcing the launch of an investigation<\/a> saying in part: \u201cIf the Taylor data center development is unlawful, I will do everything in my power to stop it and hold those who have violated the law accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like we were being seen by the right person, the right office,\u201d D\u2019Anna said. \u201cWe were yelling and cheering, but also being wary of like, \u2018What does this mean?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n